Chapter 354 - 306: I’m Looking for a Courtesan?

Chapter 354: Chapter 306: I’m Looking for a Courtesan?

Jiang Xu followed the guidance of his Seeking Technique, heading forward.

His target was the Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Along the way, Jiang Xu witnessed firsthand the island’s various forms of fraud and temptation. Every corner seemed to hide a meticulously designed trap.

Compared to the stalls he had seen selling so-called "Ancient Magical Artifacts," Jiang Xu realized they were merely the most superficial and basic of the island’s many scams.

The stalls he had seen earlier were specifically targeting outsiders who knew nothing about Xiao Jin Island.

The stall owners exploited the newcomers’ ignorance and curiosity, pushing cheap Fake Spiritual Artifacts and promising them extraordinary power.

But these so-called "Treasures" were merely ordinary items that had been specially treated, completely worthless to a true Immortal Cultivator.

These stalls were set up on the island’s edge for a reason. Once visitors fell for these low-level scams and grew familiar with the island’s rules, they would no longer be interested in such simple tricks.

And so, deeper into the island, more elaborate and sophisticated scams awaited them.

Jiang Xu walked past a seemingly quaint teahouse. Bursts of chatter and laughter drifted out from within. It looked ordinary on the surface, but it actually concealed a hidden scheme.

It was a trap set by expert gamblers. By manipulating dice and card games, they lured in thrill-seeking Immortal Cultivators, pulling them step by step into the frenzy of winning and losing.

Further ahead, a shop with a "Spirit Medicine Pavilion" sign caught his eye. A fast-talking clerk was promoting a "Rare Spiritual Medicine" that could supposedly grant a swift boost to one’s Cultivation.

In reality, they were mostly placebos mixed with a tiny amount of genuine medicinal ingredients, exploiting the Immortal Cultivators’ desire for rapid advancement to rake in huge profits.

Jiang Xu also noticed that some scams didn’t even require a physical storefront, spreading throughout the island through carefully planted information and rumors instead.

For example, news of an Ancient Secret Realm about to be discovered or the appearance of a peerless Magical Treasure would lure Immortal Cultivators into a blind search, causing them to fall right into a pre-set trap.

The deeper he went toward the center of Xiao Jin Island, the more numerous and varied the scams became.

For some scams, Jiang Xu couldn’t find a single trace of evidence; he could only rely on his intuition to identify them.

Jiang Xu discovered that Xiao Jin Island even had a complete pipeline for its victims.

Once the duped newcomers realized they had fallen for a low-level con, they would be funneled into higher-level scams.

These activities were often run by the island’s more seasoned swindlers, who employed complex psychological tactics, masterful acting, and a precise grasp of human weakness to make their victims sink deeper and deeper, until they completely lost the will to resist.

As Jiang Xu walked through Xiao Jin Island, he was particularly struck by the island’s lack of city walls.

It was different from the other islands he had visited in Dinghai State or the Youxian Sea.

The cities in those places typically had sturdy walls that served as barriers, delineating the interior from the exterior, protecting the peace within, and repelling outside incursions.

A city wall was both a physical barrier and a symbol of security. It drew a clear line between civilization and savagery, order and chaos.

But Xiao Jin Island was completely different.

There were no city walls in the traditional sense; the entire island was like a single entity where prosperity and chaos coexisted, and light and shadow intertwined.

Shops, gambling dens, teahouses, and even hidden underground markets were scattered freely across the island, with no clear distinction between inside and out, and none of the security that walls would provide.

This spoke to Xiao Jin Island’s confidence—confidence in its own Defense measures.

This confidence stemmed from Xiao Jin Island’s own complex and sophisticated system for maintaining order.

Although it looked chaotic on the surface, in reality, there was a set of invisible rules maintaining the balance.

The factions on the island were a complex web, with official oversight, mutual restraints between the major powers, and even a unique system of credit and punishment. This all ensured that even in such a seemingly lawless environment, no event that could threaten the island’s stability would easily arise.

It was like an invisible net, binding the actions of everyone on the island while also protecting its order from being completely destroyed.

Xiao Jin Island’s confidence was also reflected in its certainty in its own allure.

All kinds of rare and exotic treasures were gathered here, attracting countless adventurers and merchants seeking thrills, wealth, or opportunity.

The island’s prosperity depended in large part on this highly mobile population and the exchange of resources and information they brought with them.

In a way, the absence of walls was a gesture of welcome to all, as well as a display of confidence in the island’s own appeal.

Jiang Xu mused to himself.

’This wall-less design is actually a psychological tactic, too.’

’It makes everyone who sets foot on the island realize they’re a part of this massive whole.’

’Whether you’re a scammer or a victim, strong or weak, you have to play by the rules and join the game.’

Jiang Xu moved forward, maintaining his Stealth. Although the sights along the way intensely piqued his curiosity, he remained completely unmoved.

Soon, by following the guidance of his Seeking Technique, Jiang Xu arrived near the Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s location.

However...

Jiang Xu suppressed his astonishment and unease as his gaze fell upon the plaque for Xianya Garden.